November 23, 2022

Isaiah 58: 6, 7 (NIV)

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen; to lose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Men vainly pretend to piety who are defective in justice and charity.*

I hear it all the time: people who talk about going to church like they’re doing God a big favor by attending. Yes, our worship is directed toward God but mostly we who are assembled are the recipients of the blessing. Isaiah addressed the same mindset in this passage. He scolded the people for how they approached a day of fasting. His criticism of their behavior on that day included: 

• They did as they pleased 
• They exploited their workers 
• They ended the day with quarreling, strife, and physical altercations 

Attending church services is a good thing. Fasting is a commendable practice. But in what way do these activities benefit society? If you go to church or fast but you are not changed by your participation - if you come away with the same lack of concern for others that you started with – you have missed the point. Hearts that worship become hearts that care. Hearts that care inhabit bodies that act on behalf of others: deliverance for the victims of injustice and bondage; food, shelter, and clothing for the needy; provision for one’s own family. 

It is vital that God’s people spend time with him. Worship, fasting, Bible study, spiritual disciplines – all are important pursuits for building and maintaining our relationship with the Father. Time spent with him leads to time spent in his service.

Worship must be more than a point of theology; it must initiate action.*